In a surprising move, federal employees can expect to receive another email this Saturday, requiring them to outline their recent accomplishments. This initiative is part of a broader strategy devised by President Donald Trump and billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, aimed at demanding accountability from the government workforce. The information about this renewed effort was shared by an anonymous source familiar with the situation, who requested to remain unnamed due to the sensitive nature of the topic.
The first email, sent out just a week ago, asked employees to respond to the question, “What did you do last week?” Federal workers were instructed to list five tasks they had completed. This request has raised concerns among many employees, particularly since Musk, who has been empowered by Trump, indicated that failure to respond could result in termination. Musk's vision includes downsizing federal agencies and eliminating thousands of federal jobs, a plan that has stirred significant controversy.
While the initiative aims to enhance accountability within the federal workforce, many agencies have responded with conflicting guidance. Some have instructed their employees not to reply to the first email, reflecting a lack of consensus on how to handle the situation. According to the White House, less than half of federal workers responded to the initial request, raising questions about employee engagement and morale.
The upcoming second email is set to be delivered in a different manner, making it potentially easier for agencies to enforce compliance. Unlike the first email, which was sent by the Office of Personnel Management—the HR agency for the federal government—the next communication will originate from individual agencies that oversee career officials directly. This shift in communication strategy could pave the way for stricter disciplinary measures against noncompliant employees.
It remains uncertain how national security agencies will approach the second email. Following the first correspondence, these agencies directed their staff not to respond due to the sensitive and often classified nature of their work. This policy further complicates the implementation of the accountability measures being pushed by Trump and Musk.
During Trump’s first Cabinet meeting of his second term, Musk defended the email initiative as a necessary “pulse check” to confirm that government employees are engaged and productive. Both Musk and Trump have made controversial claims suggesting that some federal workers may not exist at all, with Trump expressing his dissatisfaction over the lack of responses to the first email. He remarked, “They are on the bubble,” implying that those who did not respond could be at risk of losing their jobs. “Maybe we’re paying people that don’t exist,” he added, although he did not provide any evidence to support this assertion.
The recent wave of firings among probationary employees, coupled with a memo issued this week, indicates that larger layoffs and program consolidations may be on the horizon. As the Trump administration and Musk continue to push for accountability within federal agencies, the implications for the federal workforce are significant, potentially altering the landscape of government employment.
Reported by Gomez Licon from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, this evolving story reflects the ongoing tensions between federal employees, agency leadership, and the administration's accountability measures.
